Saturday, May 27, 2023
Trip Reflection Blogpost
Dublin Blogpost
Dear Dirty Dublin
Jacob R. Orr
As with most of the travel on this trip, the goings on were surprisingly painless. The transition from post-Brexit U.K. to E.U. Ireland was quite simple and went by easily. The only real issue was the early wakeup in London, which proved difficult for me personally.
Dublin itself is a splendid little town, emphasis on little. Between Edinburgh and London I was a bit shocked at how quick it was to get to the major sites in Dublin. From the Savoy theater to Trinity college was a 20 minute walk! Kinda crazy given the spread out nature of London and the necessity of its tubes.
My early expeditions in Dublin were fairly sparse and I didn’t do a whole lot the first day. Again, this phenomenon is most easily attributed to the sleep deprivation I was suffering from. All the same, I got my picture with Mr. Joyce and had a lovely Irish coffee at a local coffee shop.
The next day was far more eventful as I had established a solid plan the day prior. The morning bus tour with our lovely guide Grainne was an absolute scream. As with Edinburgh and London, having a local’s perspective was well worth the time. Grainne was particularly funny and insightful. If I were ever to have an Irish grandmother, I would hope it was her.
The subsequent trip to the Cathedral of St. Patrick was fabulous. As with almost every place in the UK and Ireland I toured, the stained glass was of supreme intrigue for me personally. The final resting place of Jonothan Swift was interesting, don’t get me wrong, but the stained glass again took the fore for me.
After our morning tour I was determined to see the Dublin Archaeological Museum and see the museum I did! The prehistoric metalworking was absolutely breathtaking; breathtaking being a term I feel is often cheapened by overuse. The Irish gold however was undeniably incredible and well worth the walk to the museum.
The bog bodies were also quite fascinating but I was nowhere near as enthusiastic about them as Mrs. Reed was. It was a bit grim to confront mortality so viscerally and it left me feeling a tad uneasy.
The rest of the museum was fantastic. I adored the exhibit on the mounds and tombs at Tara. The care and detail with which the museum created and planned the exhibit was really quite gripping. I was particularly taken by the physical map they had on display. The thing was huge and highly detailed, giving an excellent bird’s eye view of the site at Tara.
The Christian metal works were also phenomenal and beautiful. I am always struck by the intricacy of the Irish metal workers. They truly fill every square centimeter of material with some motif or detail and I love it.
The final exhibit I visited was the upstairs which featured all the things I had hoped to see. There was an excellent, in-depth, explanation of the Battle of Clontarf in 1074. It was one of the most important battles in Irish history as it marked the end of Viking domination of Ireland’s eastern coast and Dublin. It was also the battle that made Brian Boru famous, whose harp is one of the chief emblems of Ireland.
Beyond that was the trove of medieval and Viking finds from the Dublin area. The collection of swords was absolutely priceless. Having written more than one essay on the evolution of European double-edged swords from Antiquity to the Middle-Ages, I was overjoyed to see some of the pieces I had studied in person. The Irish detailing and Norse style on many of the hilts and blades gave me a newfound appreciation for the term ‘Hiberno-Norse’; a term that gets thrown around a lot in discussions of Dublin’s history and the Viking association with Ireland.
Dublin was an excellent stop on our journey but I wish we could have had more time to explore.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
London Blogpost
London
Jacob R. Orr
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Scotland Blogpost 02
Scotland Day Two and Farewell
Jacob R. Orr
I’m quite content with my time in Edinburgh. It has been both illuminating and nostalgic. Just yesterday, I visited Edinburgh’s old town and the world famous castle. Walking the castle grounds was particularly potent in awakening memories I had long thought forgotten. I was able to recreate an old photo of myself beside one of the guns at the Half-Moon battery. I don’t have the 2005 original on hand but I am sure they are very similar.
I also got a thorough exploration of the Royal Mile thanks to our wonderful tour guide Charles (who revealed himself to be a fellow fan of The Clash!). The old town is simply gorgeous, the buildings that are narrow but tall really appeal to me. My friends and I also visited the Writer’s Museum which was both an informative dive into some of Edinburgh’s most famous writers as well as the architecture of the nobility in the old town.
Today I traveled with my group off to the Kelpies at Helix Park. It was definitely an interesting and unexpected outing. I’m certain my mother would have approved based on her love of both horses and sculpture. Later in the day my companions and I climbed Calton Hill, which was about as arduous as I remember it being 18 years ago.
We then saw the Scottish Museum which was phenomenal. I wish I had a whole week in Edinburgh just to explore that location. I was, however, satisfied by the many works of Scottish artwork and the rich history they reveal. Of particular interest were the famous Lewis Chess Men and many dozens of beautiful stone carvings. There was also a surprisingly extensive collection of Roman artifacts produced during the empire’s brief occupation of southern Scotland.
It was altogether a wonderful two days and I am quite sad to be leaving Edinburgh behind. London is certainly going to be interesting but I’m nowhere near as excited about it as I am for Edinburgh. A cabby I rode with today voiced my sentiments saying something to the effect of: “London is nice but it’s not quite so friendly as Edinburgh. Not quite as cozy.”
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Travel and Arrival in Scotland
British Isles Lightning Round: Travel, Glasgow, and Edinburgh (Day One)
Jacob R. Orr
Despite being well over 8 hours of travel, the last two days have gone surprisingly smoothly. I think the lowest point thus far has been leaving Pittsburgh, where I was utterly exhausted after the car ride and multi hour wait in the airport. I managed to catch a few winks on the cross-Atlantic plane and felt okay when we hit the ground in London-Heathrow.
The flight the Glasgow was nigh nonexistent as I was in and out of sleep that whole time too. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was fantastic, even if we did have only a half hour or so to explore it. I took lots of great pictures, including a few on the weapons and military art during the Jacobite rising of Waverley fame.
An 18th century Scottish Target Shield and Broadsword. The Broadsword’s hilt is engraved with Jacobite slogan’s and an image of James Stuart I. |
By far the coolest item I saw was a series of stained glass window panels from 1921, made by a famed Scottish glass maker and artist. The panels depict the coronation of the Virgin Mary by God and are done in a stunning Irish art style.
As I write this I am awaiting today’s goings on in Edinburgh (or ‘Edinbrah’ as I have been told to pronounce it) with bated breath. Here’s to another great day in the old country!
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